Easy Working Indoor Water Cycle Science Experiment for Kids

Can you make a working indoor water cycle experiment? Yes, and all you need are a few simple supplies. Kids will have a great time learning about earth science with this easy Water Cycle Science Experiment for Kids. 

Along with the Snowstorm in a Jar experiment and the Rain in a Jar Experiment, this is a fun way to teach your class a little bit about water conservation or even just the weather in general. You can also grab a free printable water cycle diagram to use with your class.

Disclosure: Adult supervision is required for all activities at all times. Some of the links provided in this blog are affiliate links. I will be paid a small commission if you use this link to make a purchase.

What is the water cycle – kid definition?

The water cycle (also known as the hydrologic cycle) is the continuous movement of water between the surface of the earth (like ocean water) and the atmosphere and land. When explaining the water cycle to kids, explore the main parts of evaporation, condensation, precipitation and collection.

How does the water cycle work? Step by step for kids

Earth’s water is always going through the different stages of the water cycle. When creating lesson plans to teach kids about the parts of the water cycle, it’s easier to break it down into the individual steps, instead of explaining the entire water cycle as a whole. As well as how the water keeps going through these same steps over and over again.

Try and use language suitable for the age of the students you are teaching. Young children, like preschoolers, will find it easier to understand “rain” rather than “precipitation”.

Watch the Water Cycle Video

Evaporation and transpiration

Evaporation occurs when the sun’s heat warms up bodies of water, such as the surface of the ocean, enough to turn liquid water into water vapor. (Preschoolers may find this easier to understand if you explain water vapor as steam, as they most likely already have experience with steam from a kettle)

Transpiration is the water molecules that are lost to the atmosphere through the leaves of plants. This water also becomes part of the water cycle.

Condensation

As the water vapor reaches higher levels of the atmosphere it gets colder. These cold temperatures eventually turn the water vapor back into a liquid form. We can see this liquid water as the different cloud types in the sky.

Precipitation

As the water droplets in the clouds get larger and heavier, the water comes down in a form of precipitation, like rain water, hail or snow.

Collection

As it rains the water gets collected through rivers and streams. This water is used for plants or the water moves downhill until it reaches the ocean, and the whole process starts from the beginning again.

Materials Needed for the Water Cycle Experiment

1. Large Bowl
2. Small Bowl
3. Hot Water
4. Salt (optional)
5. Plastic Wrap
6. Ice cubes
7. Sticky tape

Water Cycle Science Experiment for Kids – Instructions

1. Add 2 tsp of salt into the large bowl

This step is completely optional, and does not impact how the experiment works. I like to add salt to the water because it represents sea water. As the water goes through the water cycle process, it will turn into freshwater. 

This means that your kids can actually taste how the water changes before and after going through the whole cycle.

2. Pour boiling water into the large bowl and mix until all of the salt has dissolved.

Boil the kettle and add a cup of water into the large bowl. Some people choose to also add blue food coloring into the water. Since food coloring does not usually evaporate with water, this is another great way to show how the water changed states of matter.

Different parts of this experiment emulate a different part of the water cycle. The warm water mimics the sun, only you’re using a kettle to heat the water instead of mother nature. This demonstrates evaporation.

3. Place the small bowl in the center of the large bowl. 

Make sure that this small bowl is empty, as it will need to catch all of your water droplets. So it needs to be higher than the water level in the large bowl, but shorter than the edges of the large bowl itself.

4. Cover the large bowl with cling wrap.

Use cling wrap to cover the large bowl. You can use sticky tape or a rubber band to hold the cling wrap in place.

5. Place a handful of ice cubes in the center of the cling wrap.

Placing an ice cube in the center of the cling film has two purposes. 

1. It cools the water vapour, helping it to condense and cling to the film.
2. It weighs down the center of the film, so that when the droplets of water are large enough, they will roll to the center of the film and drop into the small bowl.

The cling film and ice cubes mimic condensation. Although condensation usually results in some form of clouds, in this water cycle project you’ll see the water vapor turning into droplets.

6. Wait and watch

Watch as tiny drops of water evaporate and condensate on the inside of the large bowl, eventually filling the empty bowl with (now fresh) water. Representing the stage of precipitation.

But be prepared, only a limited amount of water will actually go inside the small bowl. So don’t be disappointed that you can’t ask your whole class to taste the small glass of water.

Like many science experiments, this one can take a long time to work. You can either keep placing more hot water in the large bowl, or put the entire setup by a sunny window on a hot day, and let the sun do it for you.

Free Water Cycle Diagrams

To grab your copy of the free printable water cycle drawing just click the large blue button below. Inside you’ll get:

1. Full color water cycle diagram (labeled)
2. Black and white water cycle diagram (labeled)
3. Black and white water cycle diagram (unlabeled)

You can choose which diagram suits your science lesson and the capabilities of your students. Younger kids will most likely enjoy just coloring in the black and white version. While older children can label the parts and the water cycle themselves in the third version.

Are you going to try this Water Cycle Science Experiment for Kids?
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